Adobo sauce is made from peppers and has a distinct taste because of the Ancho pepper.
Ingredients
1 1/2 cups boiling water
6 dried Ancho peppers, deveined and seeds removed
3 dried Guajillo peppers, deveined and seeds removed
2 tbsp tomato paste
1/4 cup cider vinegar (5%)
3 cloves garlic
2 tbsp brown sugar
1 tbsp paprika
1 tsp oregano
1 tsp salt
1 tsp ground cumin
1 tsp cinnamon
1 tsp black pepper
1 tsp allspice
3 tbsp olive oil
Directions
Start with the dried peppers first. You can find them easily enough at Latin grocery stores. Be carefull when handling peppers as the residue can be harmful to your eyes. Remove, the stems, seeds and veins. After tearing into strips, put in large sauce pan. Pour boiling water over them to submerge. Place plate over the top to keep them submerged. Wait for them to soften, about 30 minutes. Do not discard the brownish water yet!
Second, combine the balance of the ingredients in a blender or food processor. Add enough of the pepper water for the blender to work well. On a continuum between tap water and tomato paste, the consistency should be about the midpoint.
Third, after achieving a good slurry in the blender, discard the remaining water from the sauce pan and return to the stove. Pour the contents of the blender into the now empty sauce pan (about 3 cups) and bring to a boil. Reduce to a simmer and cook for an additional 15 to 20 minutes.
Fourth, experiment with the flavor by adding more sugar, salt and vinegar to your taste. Most store bought Adobo sauce is very salty. The sauce should be a rich brown and about the consistency of tomato sauce.
Fifth, strain the sauce. Personally, I don’t do this as I want the fiber of the peppers and it makes for a more hearty sauce.
Notes
Adobo sauce is known for primarily covering chipolte peppers. I use adobo sauce on just about everything; it’s my ketchup without the corn syrup and all the salt. For vegans, you can substitute the brown sugar with Madjoor dates and put just a minimum of salt.
Finished Product
